Emerald Tablet of Hermes

The Emerald Tablet was highly regarded in Europe as the founding document of alchemy. A foundation for the practice of magic, the power of the earth, fire, sun, and moon, can be found in interpretations of the words and their general meaning. The Emerald Tablet of Hermes first appeared in alchemical libraries across Europe in the 12th century. Hermes Trismegistus-Thoth, who is said to have returned home with the Crusaders, is credited with creating this groundbreaking work. Modern magic has been influenced by the concepts still being discussed. The work had a significant impact on Western magic. "e;The Emerald Tablet (Tabula smaragdina) by Hermes Trismegistus, which became the basic tenet of esoteric systems such as Tantra, Kabbalah, or the Hermetic tradition, confirms these observations with its message: as above, so below or as without, so within. Each of us is a microcosm containing, in some mysterious way, the entire universe."e; Stanislav Grof (The Way of the Psychonaut, Volume One: Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys)